The present invention is directed to a ribbon conductor or cable having a plurality of light waveguides which are arranged side-by-side in a row in a common outside sheath and are relatively movable to the sheath and to a method for manufacturing the conductor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,407, which was the basis for German OS No. 26 55 996 discloses a ribbon conductor having optical waveguides provided with a coating or sheath which waveguides are arranged lying side-by-side in a row in one plane. In order to form the ribbon conductor, the cladding or sheaths of each of the waveguides are brought into contact with adjacent waveguides of the row and are treated with a solvent so that the material of the sheaths will adhere to one another in the region of their contact to form the ribbon-like structure. This type of arrangement has several disadvantages because the mechanical stresses that occur in further process, for example, during stranding or laying of the conductor, will act directly on the sensitive light waveguide fibers because the overall structure allows no dislocation or movement of the individual light waveguides relative to each other or to the ribbon.
In German AS No. 25 08 825, a stranding element for optical cables having a two-part, roughly box-shaped profile member is provided. The box-shaped member has longitudinally extending chambers which are formed in the interior and which receive respective light waveguide leads. The mobility of the light waveguides relative to one another is, in fact, guaranteed by such arrangement as is a good protection of the overall arrangement against externally acting shear forces. However, a disadvantages of this arrangement is that the two-part, box-shaped profile member is required to serve as a housing for the overall arrangement. This box requires a relatively involved manufacturing process and also yields a structure that is relatively stiff overall and whose further processing can lead to difficulties, particularly in conjunction with stranding processes.